Overflow safety device



211.18, 1938. G M, LUBOW 2,133,355

OVERFLOW SAFETY DEVIGE, v

Original Filed Jan. 2, 1936 INVENT OR.

EvR E M. Luow I [z W BY W A'ITORNEY.

Paaad Oct. 18,11938 ovaarnow ssra'rr navrcs H. Lubow, New York; N. Y., assignor of one-half to Joseph H. Feinberg, Flushing, N. Y.

Application January 2, 1936 Sel'lallNo.v 57,178 Benewed Septemberl, 1938 8' mm. (ci. 13748) This lnvention relates to new and useful improvements in an overflow safety device.

The invention has for anv object the construction of a device as mentioned which is lcapable of preventing the overflow\-of liquids in tanks during the filling of thetanks. 'Ifhe invention is applicable to all types of liquids such as fuel on, gasonneminz, etc. Filmai-limit is intended for fuel oil and gasoline tanks.

A feature of the` invention resides in the fact that whenv the device is vapplied to a gasoline tank the customary dump'cover is'eliminated. It has generally been recognized that the ldump covers are an extreme hazard in gasoline tanks and numerous unsuccessful attempts have been made to overcome this hazard.

More speciflcally, the invention contemplates the provision in an overiiow safety device of an inverted L-shaped body for the passage of iiuid which is adapted to be connected at the bottom outlet end with a -fuel tank and at the side inlet end with a supply of fluid. and said body to have anintemal Vertical cylindrical portion open at the top and closed at the bottom. and at the side connecting with said side inlet whereby a valve may be arranged within the cylindrical portion and connected witha float in the Lta`nkand arranged so as to close against the open top of the cylindrical portion when the liquid within the tank rises to a pre-determined amount,

Still further the invention` proposes an arrangement whereby the float is held comparatively stationary when the liquid within the tank is low so that the float does not rattle and unduly wear out parts of the device.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described whichis simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention. and of the objects and advantages the'rcof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying'drawing. and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. f

In the accompanying drawing forming a mater'ial part of this disclosurezf Figi. 1 is a Vertical sectional view of a device constructed according to this invention and ap-' plied to a fuel tank.

IFig. 2 is a horizontal sectionai view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The overiiow safety device. according to' this invention, comprises an inverted substantially L-shaped body ll for the passage of fluid and having a bottom outlet Na and a sideinlet Iflb. The bottom outlet I'Ua is adapted to be connected upon the top of a fuel tank preferably by a threaded connection. The side inlet illb is adapted to be connected with a supply pipe for the liquid, also preferably by a threaded connection since the parts may then be quickly associated with each'other.

Within and integral with the 'body ll there is a Vertical' cylindrical portion ltc which is formed with an open top licc and a closed bottom. `This cylindrical portion llc at the side connects with the side inlet ilib.

A Vertical stem i2l slidably engages through the closed bottom of the cylindrical portion llic and at the bottom end is attached on a float il.

At the top end the stem. |2 connects with a discshaped Valve il which is adapted to engage upon a shoulder surrounding the'opening icc for the 1311W of closing the opening.

.The float i! preferably should b`e a hollow light metal air tight container. The passage |2' in the closed bottom end of the cylindrical portion ilo 'for the stem i! is considerably of a larger siae than the stem so as to provide a vdi'ain for the fuel. as hereinafter further de-' scribed. An arrangement which has been found to be satisfactory is one in which the stem i! is and the opening l2'. one'quarter inch. Since the stem i! is relatively loose in the opening if' an arrangement is provided for supporting the float IJ in its lowered position to prevent rattling. More specifically. a wire cage i' is attached upon the tank ii and encases the float ii. This wire cage has a bottom portion ilo upon .which a soft pad l'l isl mounted. In the lowered position of the valve' ll the float II rests upon the pod l'l. Several springs ll are attached on the inside of the cylindrical portion iOc and are adapted to assist in holding the float in the lowered position.

Each-of the springs ll has a top converging portion ilo which connects with a horizontal shoulden llb, which in turn connects with a 4bottom portion ilc attached upon the bottom the converging portions |8a and spreads these portions so as to pass there-beneath to assume 4 the complete down position of the valve. The

of the body III and extends from the bottom outlet end lila to the top of the body and through a boss ld. A ball check for the release of air pressure is arranged on the boss lfld. This ball check comprises a ball 2| resting upon the top of the opening in the boss b and releasably held in this position by a spring 22 which is tensioned by an adjustment screw 23.v This adjustment screw is supported upon a housing 24 mounted upon the boss llld and encases the ball 2|. Vent openings 25 are formed in the sides of the housing 24.

The bottom of the cylindrical portion llc is formed with a recess 26 within which the valve ll normally is disposed. This recess is arranged below the entrance level of the liquid through' the inlet ylllb. Consequently, the pressure of the passing liquid tends to maintain the valve ll in its open position. It is impossible for the entering liquid `to exert any upward pressure on the bottom face of the valve.

The operation of the device is as follows: A supply of liquid'is connected with the side inlet lllb. The liquid passes to the cylindrical portion 4 llic and up through the opening Illcc, and then around down through the -body III and is finally discharged into the tank through the outlet lila. When the level of the liquid in the tank V reaches the position A-A the ^float starts to lift.

When the liquid level in the tank reaches the elevation B-B the float has lifted a suicient amount so that the valve ll is substantially mldway between its original position and the opening Hicc. The incoming liquid then exerts pressure beneath the valve ll and' forces thevalve closed upon the seat of the opening Illcc. The closed position' of the valve is indicated by the dot and dash lines in Flg.' 1.

The fact that the valve H has closed will be immediately noted by the operator in that the presthat' in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement After all the liquid has drained from' of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by United States Letters Patent is:-

v1. An overflow safety device, comprising an inverted L-shaped body for the passage of fluid and adapted to be connected at the bottom outlet end with a fuel tank and at the side inlet end with a supply of fuel, and having an internal Vertical cylindrical portion open at the top and closed at the bottom and at the side connected with said side inlet end, a Vertical stem slidably engaging through said closed bottom of said cylindrical portion, a float for extending into said tank and connected with the bottom of said stem, a valve on thetop of said stem and within said cylindrical portion and in a raised position adapted to close the said open top of said cylindrical portion, and means for releasably holding said valve in the open position, comprising several springs mounted upon the interior wall of said Vertical vcylindrical portion and engaging said valve. 4

2. An overflow safety device, comprisng an inverted L-shaped body for the passage of fluid and adapted to be connected at the bottom outlet end with a fuel. tank and at the side inlet end with a supply of fuel, and having an internal Vertical cylindrical portion open at the top and closed at the bottom and at the side connected with said side'inlet end, a Vertical stem slidably engaging through said closed bottom of said cylindrical por- 'tion, a float for extending into said tank and connected with the bottom of said stem, a valve on the top of said stem and within said cylindrical portion and in a raised position adapted to close the said open top of said cylindrical portion, and means for releasably holding said valve in the open position, comprisng several springs mounted upon the interior wall of said Vertical cylindrical portion and engaging said valve, and having converging top portions connecting with horizontal shoulder portions beneath which the valve may engage.

3. An overflow safety device, comprising an inverted L-shaped body for the passage of1 fluid and adapted to be connected at the bottomoutlet end with a fuel tank and at th'e side inlet end with asupply of fuel, and having an internal vertical cylindrical portion open at the top and closed at the bottom and at the side connected with said'side inlet end, a Vertical stem slidably engaging through said closed bottom of said cylindrical portion, a float for extending into said tank and connected with the bottom of said stem. a valve on .the top of said stem and within said cylindrical portion and in a raised position adapted to close the said open top of said cylindrical portion, and a guard surrounding said float.

. I GEORGE M. LUBOW. 

